This invention relates to improvements in a roll-up type of flexible cover for open top truck beds and more particularly, to a new, simple and efficient means for unrolling this type of cover.
The roll-up type of flexible cover is an old expedient as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,562,209 disclosing such a cover windable and unwindable on a spring-loaded roller and by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,383,413 and 3,785,694 which attach a cylinder to one edge of the cover for rotation by a suitable crank both for rolling up and unrolling.
The present invention utilizes the crank operated cylinder principle for rolling up the cover from one side of the truck bed across the top thereof to the other side and has for one of its important objects the providing of improved means to easily, quickly and efficiently unroll the cover back across the truck bed without the necessity of a second manipulation of the crank component.
Another object herein is to provide a flexible cover of the above class which includes a length of cord trained in part into the convolutions of the rolled-up cover by operation of the crank and leaving a trailing portion to be grasped and pulled to effect the unrolling of the cover.
A further object of this invention is to provide a flexible truck bed cover as characterized which can be easily rolled and unrolled by a single operator.
The foregoing objects and such further objects as may appear herein, or be hereinafter pointed out, together with the advantages of this invention will be more fully discussed and developed in the more detailed description of the accompanying drawings.